


Echoes of the Past

by LadyLuck678



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action, Blood and Violence, F/F, Gen, Knight!Yellow, Light Angst, Princess!Pink, Queen!Blue, Some Fluff, Suspense, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22272958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLuck678/pseuds/LadyLuck678
Summary: Rumors of rebels attacking towns and trade routes travel through the kingdom of Drysor.While investigating, Knight-Captain Aurelia uncovers an assassination plot against Queen Azurine.Can she make it back to the castle in time to prevent tragedy!?
Relationships: Blue Diamond/Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. The Hunt Begins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rohad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A Knight Affair](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21064748) by [Rohad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/pseuds/Rohad). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... here we are! There was a prompt directed at Rohad on Tumblr for, "intruders in the castle and Yellow's struggle to protect Blue and Pink."
> 
> I chatted Rohad up and asked if I could take a crack at it, and was given the green light... Hopefully, I did Rohad's knight AU justice...

An early thaw in the mountain snowmelt made the rivers bloat, swallowing bridges, roads, and even some towns whole. That, combined with the premature spring rains; it disrupted the entire planting season. Aurelia had seen it before, and it was never easy to watch. There would be little to no pottage boiling in the peasants' hearths this year.

The knight captain sighed heavily at the thought as she sat in her saddle. She knew what it was like to go hungry. To have a chasm in your gut that made the body too weak to even move. Yellow shook her helmeted head at the thought. She hated the memory, having been a victim of hunger when she was but a small child. Her heart ached for the farmers that were suffering now and would continue to suffer if the rains didn't let up soon.

Jasper whickered miserably and pawed at the muddy earth as unrelenting sheets of icy rain came down from the late afternoon sky. The knight leaned forward, gently patting the horse's neck and whispered soothingly in the stallion's ear, "Easy now, you'll be out of this rain soon, and back in your warm stall."

The captain could certainly relate to her warhorse's mood, the gambeson she wore under her golden armor was soaked through to the skin.

Yellow watched as the fire at the church began to smolder, leaving black, acrid trails of smoke in the air. There was some unrest in a small town nearby, traders were attacked down the road by a group of brigands claiming to be rebels from the territory of Aarde. One of the traveling merchants spurred his cart into the town to get away, taking refuge in the local house of worship. All of the "rebels" chased and started skirmishing with the town watch. The ensuing fight caught the building's thatched roof on fire despite the rain.

Yellow suspected that the fire was caused by the fighting inside and was intentionally set. A call for help was sent by falcon to the castle, and the knight captain wanted to investigate personally. Luckily, it had been raining non-stop for several days, and the small hamlet was spared further damage from spreading flames.

It didn't stop the casualties from the fighting though, bodies lay in the cold, blood-soaked mud. The royal guardsmen were helping the townsfolk now, a priest saying prayers for the departed. This wasn't the first instance of "Aarde rebels" attacking. Spotty reports of towns near the border getting raided and then disturbing news of local leaders and some lesser nobles getting assaulted and even outright killed. The assailants screaming, "Aarde forever!"

Yellow tightened the guard at the castle. She'd be damned if any two-bit footpad claiming revenge for a subjugated territory was going to harm Queen Azurine. It had been some time since the rebellion, the pitched battles for Fort Luna, and the blood spilled on both sides. An uneasy peace was made and held, until now. Peace was such a blessing, why-

"Captain, the town's watch found one of the brigand's injured in the woods!" One of her men ran up, pulling Yellow from her grim thoughts.

"Bring them here, _now_." The captain would have answers.

Two of the royal guardsmen dragged the rebel from the bushes from underneath their arms, blood trailing from a sword wound to the thigh. The town's watchman who found the perpetrator was trailing a few steps behind carrying confiscated weapons; a short bow and falchion.

They were dressed in simple woodland garb, a leather hood, and jerkin with dark green pants and soft leather boots meant for hunting. Concealment and subterfuge was meant by this manner of dress.

Yellow stepped up, and the guardsmen made the figure stand. She reached out with a gloved hand and lifted the brigand's head by the chin. The captain was glad her face was mostly covered by her helmet, she almost gasped, this girl was perhaps all of 15 years old. Only a few seasons younger than Pink…

The captain composed herself quickly, "Who are you? Speak!"

The girl tried to look away, but Yellow held her chin in place. She had fiery red hair and freckles spattered across her face with pure defiance in her brown eyes.

"We are what's left of Aarde's army! We'll fight till we win or till we're dead, we've nothing to lose." The girl then spat in Yellow's face.

"You didn't fight in the rebellion, you're barely older than a _child_." The captain scoffed as she held out her hand, stopping her men from retaliating.

"Bind her and take her to the castle, we'll question her there." Yellow wiped her face off mildly disgusted. The girl was lucky, many of the town's denizens had talked about hanging whoever was found… Now she would be brought to the dungeons, and Blue would decide what to do with her. The queen was a merciful magistrate, if she did decide to execute, it would be quick.

The captain turned to mount her horse, it would be a long trip back. The mud made for slow travel. Hopefully, they could make it back not too long after dark.

Suddenly there was a commotion, and Yellow turned just as one of her guards yelled, "Captain, look out!"

The girl had broken free and launched herself at the knight, a hidden dagger now in hand. Reflex from years of battle and training kicked in. Yellow unsheathed her sword, bracing her palm on the fuller and swept the blade upwards, instantly cutting the girl down.

"Stupid girl! Look at what your brash actions have done!" Aurelia quickly stepped over to her assailant, it was a killing blow. The wound crossed the girl's torso from the left hip all the way up to her collar bone. The knight did feel some remorse, killing was never to be taken lightly, and this girl was practically a child…

"You're the stupid one captain if you think your precious Queen Azurine is safe in her castle! You'll see tonight, Aarde will be avenged-" The light faded from the girl's eyes, and she was gone.

It was as if an icy hand reached into Yellow's chest and grasped her heart, her breath catching in her throat. She ran and jumped on Jasper and pointed to the two guardsmen who had been in charge of the rebel girl, "You and you, with me! We have to get to the castle now!"

The knight captain then spurred the warhorse down the road, mud, and water spraying in her wake.  
… … … … … … … … …

Queen Azurine had been writing at her desk for most of the afternoon. The grand hearth in the solar crackled cheerfully with a warm fire as the rain continuously fell outside. Aside from the fire, the only sounds in the room was her quill incessantly scratching against parchment, and the occasional creaking of the chair Princess Rosaline occupied.

The queen glanced out of the window behind her, it was growing dark, where had the day gone? It started early with a meeting of all the council members, plans were being put in place for a failed harvest. Emergency food stores would have to be doled out to towns and governances, while trade with neighboring kingdoms and territories would have to be adjusted so more grain could be purchased. 

Extra guards would be needed in case of unrest, Blue hated that aspect. Still, her subjects' livelihood and lives were being threatened. Misdirected anger still needed to be dealt with, however…

After the meeting, Blue had set herself down at her desk and hadn't moved since. She also hadn't seen Yellow since daybreak. Already armored and on her way out when Blue woke, the knight captain graced her queen with a soft kiss and a promise of her company later in the evening.

She sighed and looked at the hastily scribbled message on the far corner of her desk, the captain's handwriting was neat, but lacked elegance. Trouble in a nearby town from self-proclaimed rebels of Aarde. That was hours ago, and no news was heard since. The rain came down in torrents all the while.

"She is _fine_! She's Knight-Captain Aurelia. Whatever problem occurred is probably all taken care of, and she's marching her way back now." Blue glanced at her sister, the young lady was giving her a roguish look from over the top of her book.

"Oh? And how do you know that was what I was thinking of?" The queen's eyebrows canted up as she pulled a penknife from her desk drawer along with a fresh quill. Usually, newly sharpened feather quills would be made ready by Blue's ladies-in-waiting. But she had been writing so much today, she had worn through all of them.

"Every time you look at Yellow's message, you sigh," Pink smirked at her sister.

"Do you often make a habit of going through my correspondence?" Blue carefully stripped and sharpened a fresh quill while waiting for the princess's answer.

"No! It was simply there on your desk, and I saw it is all." Pink said in a bluster and quickly buried her nose back into her book.

Time for a small distraction at her sister's expense. The chance that Pink was reading " _The Grand Histories of the Drysor Kingdom_ " was slim to none.

The queen slowly got up and stretched while wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She then nonchalantly wandered over to the fireplace and stoked the flames feigning a chill. She turned suddenly and snatched the tome from her sister's hands.

" _Rosaline_! The Minstrel's Tale!? These stories are outrageous and obscene!" Pink had been using an aged history volume to disguise the scandalous literature that she was _actually_ reading. 

Blue snapped the book closed and tossed it at her sister, levying an exasperated look in her direction. It was to be expected, Pink was no longer a mere child, she was a young woman. Naivety was no longer in her nature.

"At least you had the decency to get the _un-illustrated_ version," Blue said as she began to return to her desk while shaking her head.

" _Err_ , I would have, but the roads into the city were washed out. I had to borrow this from a fellow courtier." Pink gave a sheepish grin, her face as red as the fire currently burning in the hearth.

The queen opened her mouth to comment further when a strangled cry was heard in the corridor. Both sisters stopped and stared at the sturdy oaken door at the front of the room. Blue then grabbed her elegant cobalt skirts and treaded cautiously forward towards the door.

"Blue!" Pink said in a panicked tone, but the queen shushed her as she placed her ear on the door… no sounds could be heard.

She slowly unlatched the bolt and wrapped her fingers around the handle. "Blue, it's likely nothing. Yellow has employed many new guards, I'm sure they're just getting accustomed to their duties."

Queen Azurine glanced over to her sister, she was now standing and nervously clutching her scarred hands together. Her hands, a constant reminder of a fiery attack against them at Fort Luna, the poor girl was caught in the blaze and nearly burnt alive. Yellow had rescued her, but she was not unscathed; her hands had been burnt badly. Even though the incident happened years ago, Pink was particularly skittish when there was a potential threat to her or anyone she cared for.

" _Starlight_ , I'm just taking a quick look, there's no harm in looking if it's nothing as you say." Blue gave her nervous sister a gentle smile and made to open the door only to have a marred hand grab her wrist.

"I'm not entirely sure that it's nothing!" Pink swallowed hard, her eyes piercing Blue's.

"If there is danger, we must know, take a deep breath," Her sister nodded as she breathed in then out. The queen slowly opened the door…

And there was nothing. The candelabra that lined the corridor made the shadows dance against the wooden floors and stone walls. Blue glanced at Pink, who had placed an uncertain hand on her shoulder.

The young woman let out a heavy sigh, "I guess it was nothing after all-"

Footsteps proceeded a royal guardsman that melted out of the shadows down the hallway. He was dressed in chainmail, and a tabard with the Drysor coat of arms splayed on the front. His hand rested comfortably on the pommel of the longsword at his side. His eyes shaded by the brim of his kettle helm.

"Guardsman, is everything alright?" The queen took a couple steps out the door and straightened herself to her full height.

The man gave no answer and continued forward, "Guardsman-"

A hulking figure dressed in studded leather armor with a green hooded cloak stepped out from behind a column and joined the guard. He drew a wicked-looking falchion from his side.

"Blue!" The queen was yanked backward by her shawl as an arrow flew by, a hairs-breadth away from her head. It embedded itself deeply in a nearby column with a resounding " _thud_."

Blue looked to her right to see another figure similarly clad in leather armor like the one with the falchion, this one had a bow and was nocking another arrow. Azurine rushed back into her solar and slammed the door shut as she threw the bolt home.

The princess instantly wrapped Blue in a tight embrace. "What do we do!? Who were those men!? And we're trapped now, and you were almost killed!"

Banging startled the pair, the bolt on the door held but only just. Blue held Pink in return, her eyes never leaving the door. The young woman had saved her life just a moment ago, had her sister not been looking in the other direction…

"We're not trapped, we can escape this room at least. Hopefully, we can summon help!" Blue let go of Pink and hurried over to an unassuming sconce on the wall. She pulled down on it, and a wooden panel on the wall scraped open, revealing worn stone steps descending into a dark passageway.

Pink wandered up, wonder overcoming her fear for the moment, "How do you know all this about the castle!?"

"If you actually _bothered_ to read ' _The Grand Histories of the Drysor Kingdom_ ,' you would know that one of our ancestors was incredibly paranoid of assassination. They had many hidden passages built into the castle." The queen gave a grim smile and grabbed a lantern that hung just inside the entrance to the passage.

Azurine lit the lantern then took her sister by the hand. The hammering on the door hadn't ceased, and the bolt rattled ominously. "This passage will lead us close to the library; from there, we can use the servants' entrance to the gardens and cut across to the barracks. We'll alert the master sergeant there."

The sisters stepped into the damp stairwell, and Blue hit a nearby lever closing the panel behind them.

"How do we know we can trust the guards at the barracks?" Pink said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I have a growing suspicion that some of our newly hired recruits are the ones that are conspiring against us. All the guardsmen off duty right now are veterans. I'm willing to chance that they're as loyal as they have ever been. Now come on!" Blue squeezed her sister's hand as they pressed forward, and the pair was soon surrounded by darkness.  
… … … … … … … … …

Yellow rode hard into the central courtyard of the castle, her guardsmen just behind her. It was roughly a couple hours past sunset, she had Jasper come to a halt just in front of the stables. The storm had increased in intensity, thunder, and lightning now crisscrossing the sky. A young stable boy came out ducking under his cloak, trying to avoid getting drenched.

She jumped off her exhausted warhorse handing the reigns over to the boy, not even sparing him a glance, then turned to her men, "You, go to the front gate and put the castle on high alert! I want this place locked down."

The guard didn't wait; he slipped out of his saddle and bolted to the main guardhouse. The captain then turned to the remaining footman, "You are going to the barracks, tell the master sergeant what has transpired. I want all of the men and women currently on watch duty _in the castle_ to be detained and questioned."

"What if the sergeant asks for you, m'lady!?"

"Tell him I went to see to the safety of the queen and the princess!" Yellow turned on her heel and raced for the entrance. As she ran, the warning bell echoed through the courtyard, soon torches could be seen sparking to life on the ramparts and parapets. No one could leave nor enter into the castle at this point.

The knight picked up the pace despite her exhaustion. She was soaked through, and her boots squelched with every desperate step, but none of that mattered. She had to find Blue and Pink. The captain paused when she arrived at the main entrance, no watch was present at the doors.

Her jaw clenched as her right hand tentatively wrapped around the hilt of her sword. She drew the blade and burst through the entryway. It was utterly dark and silent, she took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the lack of light. A wet hand undid her golden helmet and let it fall to the floor, it was hard enough to see, she didn't need her armor getting in the way. The captain then warily took a few steps forward and nearly slipped and fell.

She squinted; there was a dark puddle… of something on the floor. Yellow wanted to investigate, but she didn't want to use any light lest she gave away her presence. Lightning flashed through the tall windows of the castle. A body laid just off to the side; the knight kneeled to take a closer look. A guard, their face was blank, eyes empty. A gash across the throat, their bloody hand clutching at it in a feeble attempt to stop the flow of blood.

The captain brushed the poor soul's eyes closed and rose. She closed her eyes for a moment, there was a few places Blue and Pink could be at this hour. They may have retired to the royal apartments, but it was still relatively early.

But, not so early that the castle was full, all the noblemen and courtiers will be retiring for the night, and the servants would be in the lower floors preparing for the next day. That and the alarm was sounded. All those in the castle were assigned a designated area to rally in incase of an emergency. It was meant to keep the passageways and hallways clear for obvious reasons.

As quickly and quietly as she could in full armor, the knight made her way through the darkened castle. The insurgents were making sure to give themselves every advantage they could by putting out most of the lights. Yellow kept to the back hallways as she continued her search. She was passing by the lower kitchens when she heard some muffled noises from behind the door of the servants' dining room.

The captain barged in, sword at the ready only to find most of the kitchen staff huddled near the cooking fire. "Knight-Captain, thank goodness!"

It was one of Azurine's ladies-in-waiting that came forward, hands worriedly twisting a silk handkerchief in her hands.

"What is going on? Where is the queen!?" Yellow had no time for frivolity, she needed answers fast.

"We're not exactly certain ourselves! The queen was not at supper, so I was merely down here arranging for a light repast to be brought to the solar when-" Of course, the solar! Blue had quite the workload this past week and had been spending nearly all of her time there if she wasn't at court. She was staying in that damned office until the wee hours of the morning. Yellow had to carry her to bed the other night, she was absolutely done-in.

"Lock the door and stay put until someone comes for you!" The captain barked as she ran for the door. Surely the master sergeant had his guardsmen securing the castle by now, Aurelia could double back for reinforcements. Still, her instincts were telling her to push forward.

She headed towards the main floor via the back corridor, it would lead her to the library and the gardens.

For whatever reason, the captain felt as though she was running out of time.


	2. The Hunt Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all I got, It's a shorty.
> 
> Read "A Knight Affair", it's pretty friggen good!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!

Blue kept a steady pace as she navigated through the old stone passageway. She vaguely remembered the layout of the castle undercroft in her mind, this tunnel dipped far underground. It skirted the forgotten and sealed crypts where kings and queens from time immemorial were entombed.

"Ugh!" Pink gasped out and started to flail her arms and then brushed her hands across her face. Despite the situation, Blue gave a soft chuckle and held the lantern up so her sister could see more clearly.

"This is the worst! Did you see how big that spider was!? The thing was as large as a rat, and it's web!?" The princess gave Blue a hard look.

"Come now, we can't spend too much time down here." The queen wasn't unsympathetic, she had only used this passage a few times. Needless to say, it was not her favorite. She stepped closer to her sister and helped brush the remaining spider webs from her hibiscus colored dress.

"Why did you want to know about all these secret passageways?" Pink asked as the pair began to move forward again.

"I thought it useful in case of a situation such as this," Blue replied while avoiding stone debris on the ground. She looked over her shoulder when she heard nothing from her sister. The young woman had stopped and was giving Blue a disbelieving look.

"Alright, I started to research the subject shortly after Yellow, and I became involved with each other. I wanted to be able to move about the castle without being seen. Happy?"

Pink hummed and smiled smugly as she strutted past the queen, "Thought so."

"Quiet now, we're almost at the other side." The queen huffed and pressed on.

No sooner had she spoken when a stone stairwell loomed in front of the sisters, ascending into an impenetrable wall of darkness. Carefully the pair climbed up and Blue pulled the lever that opened stone panel as she snuffed out the lantern. They were at an intersection; if they went straight, it would take them to the servants' entrance and lower kitchens. If they went left, it would lead to the library. Turning right would lead to the front of the castle towards the throne room and the main entryway.

It was eerily silent aside from the storm raging outside, lightning flashed through the windows. Pink stepped beside the queen as they both listened for any intruders. When none was heard, she hung the lantern up and pulled a sconce on the wall shutting the passageway behind them.

"They're gone!" A frantic, feminine voice called out. Blue grabbed Pink's arm and bolted for the adjacent wall in the corridor. The pair pressed their backs to the damp stone, Pink covering her mouth with both hands. Blue slowly reached down and carefully lifted her skirts, wrapping her fingers around a smooth onyx handle. She slowly unsheathed a long deadly looking dagger, finding comfort in its weight.

"People don't just disappear, you fool! There had to have been a passageway or something in the chamber they were in. That means they're still in the castle!" The man speaking had a heavy, gravelly voice.

"Either way, we should probably think about running for it. The alarm was sounded and many of the others have been caught. The knight captain is just arresting everyone working in the castle right now piecemeal." This voice belonged to a younger man, he sounded uncertain, scared even.

Blue jerked her head towards the library, and Pink nodded. The pair soundlessly began making their way along the corridor, keeping close to the wall. They had made it about a dozen steps when…

"Listen here, you little snot! You agreed to do this for Aarde, you took an oath! Now you want to back down!?" The large man in studded leather armor had grabbed the young rebel dressed as a Drysor guard and slammed him against the back wall of the hallway.

"I couldn't even fight in the war, I was too young! I signed up because you were offering good coin and I was starving! The rains wrecked my family's farm!" Fear colored the younger man's voice.

"Here now, let's just go! We can cut our losses-" A cloaked woman with a bow stepped out into the cross-section of the corridor and locked eyes with the queen.

The large man raised his falchion and screamed, "For Aarde!"

"Go, now!" Blue screamed at Pink and the pair flew towards the royal library. They had a head start, but it wouldn't take much for the intruders to gain ground, yelling and heavy footsteps could be heard not far behind them.

Pink was just ahead of Blue, she slammed into the heavy oaken doors fumbling with the handle. Azurine skidded to a halt into her sister's back and helped her pull the door back, as she did so, an arrow embedded itself right in front of the queen's face. Pink yelped, and Blue pushed her inside.

The pair quickly slammed the doors shut, and Pink grabbed a tall candelabrum and shoved it crossways through the handles. "Why doesn't this door have a lock!"

"It's a library, Rosaline; it's meant for all who reside in the castle to use!" The pair backed up, their heavy breathing echoed against the many shelves and high vaulted ceilings. Booted feet trampled up to the entryway, and soon pounding and pulling was heard as the door strained.

"They're going to get through! Please, tell me there's a secret passage here!?" Pink cried out in panic.

"It collapsed long ago, entrance to the passageway won't even open now." The queen stepped over to her sister and grabbed her arms by the elbows as she squeezed.

"Listen closely, we have to split up and hide until help arrives. You heard the assassins', Yellow is already combing her way through the castle with her men. It's only a matter of time before she makes her way here." Blue took a steadying breath as she stared at Pink.

The young woman looked over at Blue's dagger as tears fell from her eyes. "I don't carry my dagger with me as much anymore, not since…"

" _No_ , Rosaline, it's alright, I understand." The queen shook her head sadly. The unspoken incident that happened three seasons ago now. Her sister had struck their mother in the chest with her dagger as a means of self-defense. She had been suffering from madness and attacked the youngest princess giving her no other recourse.

So many things this night seemed to reach back to that one point in time. Like a stone thrown into a pond, it created ripples that she, Pink, and Yellow were still dealing with to this day.

"I wish I had it now, so I could protect you, Azurine." Rosaline's eyes were as hard as stone when she spoke. Blue pulled her sister closer, tears pricking her eyes.

A loud splintering noise pulled the sisters' attention to the door, the handles and the candelabrum couldn't handle much more strain.

"We have to split up, understand? We do have an advantage, we know the layout of the library, they do not. Keep your wits about you and keep hidden!" Blue hissed as she began to step away. Pink nodded and gave the queen's hand one last desperate squeeze. She then pulled away, hitched up her skirts and dashed further into the darkened library.

Blue watched Pink for a couple seconds more before running up to the second floor. She heard the doors being rent open behind her just as she slipped behind some bookcases. The queen desperately prayed that her knight-captain would arrive in time.  
… … … … … … … … …

Yellow had swept through the servants quarters and up the stairway to the main floor. When she reached the top, yelling could be heard. She raced to the end of the hallway, the voices were echoing from the library. The captain tightened her grip on her sword, she swore when she heard the intruders.

She knew of the secret passageway in the solar that lead to this very area. Blue and Pink probably ran and tried to escape to the servants' corridor below. They could have exited there and ran for the barracks through the garden to get help. 

The captain smiled to herself; Blue wasn't only easy on the eyes, she was also quick of wit and very intelligent. Everything about that woman attracted Yellow. _Focus_ …

Quickly she sprinted over to the library; a broken candelabrum was strewn on the ground. No doubt, it was used in an attempt to bar the door. The captain frowned. She knew her opponents were in here. Suddenly from the top of the staircase to the second floor, a giant of a man stalked aggravatedly from behind one of the bookcases.

He was hooded, his manner of dress was similar to the girl Yellow had fought in the small town earlier in the day. She barred her teeth and leaped up the steps two at a time.

"Hold right there! In the name of Queen Azurine, I demand that you surrender immediately or face death!" She had surprised her foe, that was good.

"Ah, the fabled Knight-Captain Aurelia. I think I'll face death, I've little to lose at this point. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and end your life tonight as well!" The large man charged, his blade coming down in a deadly arc.

Yellow was ready; she took a high guard and swept her sword down, deflecting the blow. Her attacker was skilled, there was no doubt he had formal training in combat. He was unbalanced, the captain kicked him in the gut and moved to thrust, but he deflected.

Aurelia had to keep her opponent off balance, his size gave him a great advantage. Holding her right hand firmly on the hilt, she grasped her blade with her left hand and rammed the pommel into the larger man's chest, then as quickly as she was able, she cracked the brigand in the jaw with the same motion.

The man dropped his weapon and staggered back, trying to breathe. Yellow had him, she brought her sword up high to finish him when he lunged forward with uncanny speed wrapping his arms around her waist. There was no way for the captain to stop his momentum, the pair crashed down the long, stone staircase.

Yellow was dazed, she found herself in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. She moved to pick herself up and immediately collapsed in pain, her left arm was fractured. The knight rolled over on to her back only to find her attacker looming over her with her own sword.

He jumped on top of her, bringing the blade up to her neck, trying to behead her with its edge. Yellow held fast, bringing her hands up to stop him, but the man's size and strength were too much. She was going to lose.

"If I can't have the queen's life, perhaps I can have yours! You killed so many of my men in the rebellion, you should have lost your head a long time ago!" He hissed in barely controlled rage.

Aurelia had been in many battles and survived; she was not about to give up. She was granted the title of captain for a reason. She took a chance and let go of the blade with her left hand. Her arm burned with nigh unbearable pain, but she couldn't think of that now. Yellow grabbed the side of the brigand's head and pressed her thumb into his right eye as hard as she could.

The man howled in pain but didn't stop pressing down on the sword. It was biting into the palm of Yellow's right hand and nicking her neck. She spat in his face and pressed even harder, that was enough. He screamed and dropped the sword, flipping over on to his back and burying his face in his large hands.

The knight captain didn't wait; she grabbed the discarded sword as she sat on top of the man and plunged the silver blade through the center of his chest. The brigand looked at the captain in shock and clutched at the sword feebly as he tried to dislodge it. Yellow watched as the life faded from his eye.

Yellow shakily got up and retrieved her sword, wiping it off on the would-be assassin's cloak. She could hear other voices yelling in the library, but the room was spinning. She was bleeding from the head, she agitatedly brushed the blood from her eyes.

The knight leaned heavily on her sword while bringing her left arm up close to her side. This wasn't over yet.  
… … … … … … … … …

Pink had been dodging the intruders for what seemed like forever now. She knew the library well enough, but she couldn't keep up this game of "cat and mouse" forever. She prayed desperately that her sister was alright and that Yellow would get her sooner rather than later. The panic she felt was almost overwhelming her.

Two brigands were searching for her on the ground floor of the library, she saw the largest of the trio take the second floor. Not that the princess had time to pay too much attention to the matter, but it seemed like the one dressed as a guard was somewhat reluctant to be involved in the situation…

Pink was crouched behind a desk in eyeshot of the grand staircase when she saw Yellow dart up in her golden armor and challenge the leader of the group. The sound of a pitched battle could be heard echoing down, she stood and vaguely wondered where the other guards were. Did the knight-captain not bring reinforcements with her?

"There!" The archer yelled and pointed, she had spotted Pink. The princess swore under her breath, she grabbed her dress and ran towards the doors. _Idiot_! She should have stayed hidden! But Yellow…

She slipped into one of the many towering rows of books. The smell of ink and old parchment filling her nostrils. It was almost entirely dark here, the only light was the occasional flash of lightning from the storm. If she was fast enough, she could slip past her hunters and double back behind them.

Pink froze when she heard a noise behind her. She turned, she couldn't see anything in this darkness. It was the one time this night, the shadows were not to her advantage. She stood there still as a statue for what seemed like forever. The princess jumped when she heard a great clatter from the staircase.

Oh, how she desperately wanted to go and see! Yellow could be hurt, or worse! Pink grit her teeth and pressed on, she had to do something, anything. Doing nothing was the worst! She ran down the aisle of books and slammed right into the archer that was stalking her.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little princess of Drysor!" Pink screamed and struggled at first until a pair of sinewy chainmail arms wrapped around her. A sharp knife point could be felt at her neck.

"Keep her still! We're going to end this right here!" The woman said, bringing out her bow and nocking an arrow.

"We're still doing this? Com'on let's just go, we can't win at this point!" The younger man wheedled.

"If we kill the queen, we win!" The archer said vehemently.

"What do we win!? We're going to hang for sure!" The young man's voice broke. Pink was sure now that this man didn't want to be a part of this.

"We finally get justice! You weren't there fighting for Fort Luna! No one answered for slaughtering our captured men! We can make that right tonight."

"By killing my sister, the queen? You think assassinating her is going to bring your lost soldiers back?" Pink was taking a risk here speaking, but she was in quite the situation.

"Listen, you don't have to do this! Just surrender, my sister will show mercy, I know she will!" Tears rolled down the princess's face.

The archer was not hearing any of it; she grabbed Pink's cheeks with one hand and squeezed, "Listen here, pretty girl, you shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you!"

"That is enough!" Queen Azurine stepped out from behind one of the many rows of books into the main aisle. She was roughly a couple dozen feet away from the group.

"Clearly, this is about me, not the princess. Let her go, and you can have me." Azurine stood at her full height, her silvery locks spilling over her shoulders, her vivid blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim light. She looked every bit the queen of the Drysor Kingdom. There was something hard in her eyes that Pink had never seen before, they had an icy quality to them…

"Hah! A noble actually living up to the title!? That's a first!" The archer sneered and spat on the ground.

"Careful, she's up to something." The young man holding Pink said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

"I'm not up to anything. You believe I'm responsible for all the wanton killing during the rebellion. That's fine, but my sister is assuredly not! Let her go, you have me." The princess noted that Blue was holding her right hand behind her waist. Her sister was the smartest person she knew, there was some sort of plan worked out for certain.

The archer stepped a few paces forward, pulling the string of her bow back. 

" _Please_ , you don't have to do this! This is all in the past, you can just stop! Nobody has to die!" Rosaline pleaded again. 

She felt the young man holding her loosen his grip just a bit, "I-I don't want to die, not for this! I want to go back to my family and the farm, even if no crops are growing!"

"Shut it, boy! You're in too far now; all that's left is to finish the job!" The archer paused to yell over her shoulder. She took aim right at the queen's heart, "For the record, someone always has to die."

There was a commotion of metal rattling against metal. A figure in golden armor launched herself from out of the darkness and tackled the archer. The arrow was let loose, just missing it's intended target. Yellow wrestled with the assassin on the ground, everyone was distracted.

Pink was trained by the captain, the goodly knight showed her more than just how to use a dagger. She stomped on the young man's foot and jerked her head back, slamming it in the face of her captor. He cried out and pulled his sword in an attempt to get at the princess when he was stopped cold.

A long, onyx handled blade had been thrown. It lodged itself in the neck of the young man. He dropped, clutching at his throat as he gurgled. Azurine's plan had finally been revealed.

Pink covered her mouth with both hands and collapsed to her knees close to her captor. He was about as old as the princess was, the only reason he did this was because he was desperate.

He looked over at her, fear plain in his eyes, he was going to die. "I'm sorry-I'm so sorry. I wish you could go home to your family, and your farm. I'm sorry!"

Pink let her tears roll down her face uninhibited as she watched the man grow still. Blue came and helped her to her feet and then pulled her into a crushing hug. She took a moment to compose herself when she remembered Yellow.

"Yellow!?" Pink tore herself away from her sister's arms.

"I'm fine, everything is fine!" She was sitting on the floor next to an unconscious archer. Her face was bloody, and her armor was dented. Pink was pretty sure the knight had broken her arm.

"You don't look fine," Blue said with concern.

"I have exactly zero patience for any sort of fussing over me," Yellow said flatly as she tried to stand. Blue wiped the tears from her face and hurried over to her knight, and Pink followed.

As they helped the captain to her feet, the royal guard swept into the library. Everything was going to be alright… given time.  
… … … … … … … … …

It was the first sunny day in weeks. It certainly looked like the weather was taking a turn for the better. The air was bordering on warm when Knight-Captain Aurelia stepped outside to do some rounds.

She was supposed to be resting, if Blue caught her out and about like she was, well, she'd get an earful. But it was so pleasant outside and Yellow had a hard time staying idle despite her wounded state. She had a gash over her right eyebrow and her left forearm was fractured. It was splinted and in a sling. It would take a some weeks for it to heal, but she'd been hurt worse in the past. The knight also had a bit of a sniffle from riding around in the rain, but it was nothing serious.

All the traitorous guards had been found, it was a group of seven in total. Most of them were being held in the dungeons at the moment. The crime they committed was high treason, the punishment was to be hung, then drawn and quartered. Their bodies to be put on display at specific parts of the kingdom as an example.

But Yellow knew better; she was almost sure her queen would give a much more expedient and humane verdict. An example needed to be set, but not in as brutal a fashion. She would speak to Blue about it later.

She marched on, checking the barracks, the main guardhouse, the stables. That was when Yellow noticed Pink stepping into the chapel yards with some flowers and a book. She paused a moment and followed the younger princess.

As she entered the yard behind the small chapel, she saw Pink sitting on a bench. White roses had been placed on some newly upturned earth. Bodies were typically cremated and the ashes buried. The flowers in the yard were placed on a section that was reserved for criminals. They were not named, nor given their own graves. But they were given proper rights, so their spirits could rest easy.

Yellow stepped over and sat next to Pink on the small stone bench, "Captain, aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"It's too nice a day to be sitting in my bedchamber. Besides, I wanted to see how you were fairing, princess." The austere woman said with a stuffy sniff.

"I'm alright, really. It's strange, I thought the rebellion and everything was put behind us." Pink said with a wistful sigh, her scarred hands clutching a book. She leaned into the sturdy knight, and Yellow wrapped her good arm around the princess's shoulders.

"When the queen makes a decision, it has lasting consequences. It affects everyone in the kingdom." The captain said, looking at the grave markers around them.

"Even when the decisions weren't necessarily made by the current monarch?" Pink said with a twinkle in her eye. The brutal treatment of the Aarde prisoners during the rebellion was a result of Queen Winea, not Queen Azurine. The would-be assassin's anger was misdirected.

"I'm afraid so, princess." Yellow said flatly, "It's difficult for anyone to see the whole picture like the queen does. Especially if you're starving and poor… But that young man had no right to break into the palace and hold you, hostage, as he did."

Yellow raised an eyebrow at the princess, she knew why she was out here at the chapel. Pink simply hummed in response.

"You're right, and I do feel bad. But, I don't feel _guilty_." Yellow leaned back in genuine surprise. Pink gave her a sad smile.

"He made that choice. He chose to take money and conspire to treason. He didn't have to, but he did. I'm sorry that man made that choice. He was the same age as I. It’s just a waste, potential lost." Yellow had no words, Pink was… growing up.

"At any rate, I'm going to my garden to read." The princess stood and gave Yellow a quick peck on the cheek. The knight blushed and held her hand to her face.

" _Ah_ , out of curiosity, what are you reading that's so interesting?" It was odd. Pink wasn’t the most bookish person.

Pink held up the weighty tome, it's title scrawled on the cover in worn gilded lettering; " _The Grand Histories of the Drysor Kingdom_."

"Forgive me, princess, but that doesn't seem like something you would be interested in." The captain said curiously.

" _Um_ , Blue showed me the other night why I _should_ pay attention to this particular volume." She gave Yellow a cheerful grin and headed off towards her personal garden with a bounce in her step.  
… … … … … … … … …

By the time her rounds were finished, it was midafternoon. Yellow had to be careful now, near the end of the afternoon was when Blue allowed herself some free time.

She would certainly come to see Yellow… The captain checked the corridor where the royal apartments were kept and breathed out, no one in sight. She then slipped into her own rooms and sat down on her bed. She made it unseen.

"And where were you off to today?" An exasperated lilting voice called from a secret passage behind a painting.

Yellow winced, she was caught. "It was a nice day, and I thought it would be alright if-"

"You're supposed to be on bed rest. You're ill and injured." Blue strutted over to where Yellow was sitting, her arms crossed, an eyebrow arched in irritation.

"Azurine, I only wanted to check on things. It bothered me to know we had traitors in our ranks." Yellow said, looking away from her lover's blue eyes. It was the truth, she felt she had failed her queen. A soft hand gently swept across Yellow's brow and through her short-cropped blonde hair.

"You're running a bit of a fever," The queen murmured more to herself.

"Aurelia, you cannot know people's minds. You simply have to have faith, as hard as that is to give." Blue had a soft but sad expression on her face as she made her way over to the fireplace. She stoked the flames and added another log, then sat down on the bed opposite Yellow.

"Lie down with me for a while, you need to rest." The captain did as she was told, she settled down on her back being careful of her arm. Blue laid on her side next to her and raked her fingers through flaxen locks.

"What will you do with the prisoners?" Yellow asked sleepily after a long moment.

"I spoke with my counselors this morning, it's something of a delicate matter. I don't wish to incite more violence." The queen sighed, her hand wandering down Yellow's face and then to her shirt collar. She began to loosen the ties.

"The archer that nearly shot me on more than one occasion will be beheaded. She was something of a rabble-rouser. An example must be set, but no drawing or quartering. As for the rest of the group, I think a public shaming through a few towns on their way back to the eastern border is acceptable." 

The captain hummed in agreement. "That's rather magnanimous of you."

A pained look swept across Blue's face, "Gods no more blood, there's been too much already. I cannot bear it."

“Azurine…” Yellow said soothingly, but Blue only shook her head.

"It seems like the past is always coming up to haunt us, I don't know if we'll ever be free of it." Blue looked away sadly, the weight of the matter heavy on her mind.

"It will be alright. Whatever happens now or in the future, I will be here for you, _always_." Yellow squeezed her hand, and Blue gazed back, her cerulean eyes soft in the firelight.

Blue leaned over and gave Yellow a soft, lingering, kiss to the lips. The pair laid there together in comfortable silence, nothing more needed to be said.

**Author's Note:**

> So... here we are! There was a prompt directed at Rohad on Tumblr for, "intruders in the castle and Yellow's struggle to protect Blue and Pink."
> 
> I chatted Rohad up and asked if I could take a crack at it, and was given the green light... Hopefully, I did Rohad's knight AU justice...


End file.
